Northwestern Washington & the San Juan Islands - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 193

Larrabee State Park CAMPGROUND$
( 360-676-2093; Chuckanut Dr; tent/RV sites $23/30) Seven miles south of Bellingham,
along scenic Chuckanut Dr, these campsites sit among Douglas firs and cedars with ac-
cess to Chuckanut Bay and 12 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Birch Bay Hostel HOSTEL$
( 360-371-2180; www.birchbayhostel.org ; 7467 Gemini St off Alderson Rd; dm/d $30/50;
May-Sep) If you're on your way to or from the British Columbia (BC)/Washington border,
you can stay at this HI hostel at Bay Horizon County Park in Blaine, just south of the
49th parallel. Clean dormitory beds and private rooms for up to four are housed in old
military barracks with a cozy social space. Nearby are the beach, waterfront restaurants
and Canada.

Hotel Bellwether BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$

$$$
( 360-392-3100; www.hotelbellwether.com ; 1 Bellwether Way; r $165-284, lighthouse from $398;
) Bellingham's finest and most charismatic hotel is positioned on a redeveloped
part of the waterfront and offers views over toward the whalelike hump of Lummi Island.
Billing itself as a European hotel on the basis of its Italian furniture and Hungarian down
duvets, the Bellwether advertises 66 luxury rooms, none of which are exactly the same.
Its crowning glory is the celebrated 900-sq-ft lighthouse condominium, an old conver-
ted three-story lighthouse with a wonderful private lookout.

Fairhaven Village Inn HOTEL$$$ $$$

( 360-733-1311; www.fairhavenvillageinn.com ; 1200 10th St; r with bay/park view $199/209;
) Downtown Bellingham lacks a decent number of well-appointed independent hotels,
but one good alternative option is this prime place in genteel Fairhaven. Well in keeping
with the vintage tone of the historic district, the Village Inn is a class above the standard
motel fare, with prices to match. In this instance, they're probably justified.

Eating
Strict vegans, visiting Californians and parents sick of stuffing their kids with hot dogs
will all find solace in Bellingham, where the reverence for good food has an almost San
Francisco-like aura. Railroad Ave is a good place to start looking.

Old Town Cafe CAFE$